IDOT Prepares Roads For Holiday Rush

SPRINGFIELD, IL -– The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that highway construction work will be suspended, where possible, on state highways to give motorists a break during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

Many construction zones will be open for Christmas from Thursday, December 23rd, at 3 pm until Midnight on Sunday, December 26th, and for New Year’s from Thursday, December 30th, at 3 pm until Midnight on Sunday, January 2nd.

However, there will be some construction zones across the state that will continue to have lane closures because of the type of work under way. Motorists are advised to check IDOT’s new traveler oriented web site www.illinoisroads.info for information on winter road conditions, road construction, etc. Interstate road condition information is also available at 1-800-452-IDOT (4368).

In the greater Chicago area all lanes on the Edens, Eisenhower, Stevenson, Kennedy, and Bishop Ford Expressways, as well as I-80 will be open.

Construction will continue in the following areas:

DISTRICT ONE (COOK, DuPAGE, WILL, KANE, LAKE and McHENRY)

Bridge replacement work will continue on I-57, under Throop Street and at the 107th Street Bridge superstructure replacement. This job will be suspended for the winter sometime later this month. There will be shoulder and nighttime closures on I-57. A detour is posted for oversized trucks using 107th Street. Motorists traveling on 107th Street will use the new eastbound lanes and traffic on Throop Street will use the northbound lanes.

Workers will continue bridge construction on the Dan Ryan Exp (I-90/94) from the I-90 Skyway Interchange to Wentworth Avenue. To continue south on Dan Ryan use the left lane. Motorists in the right lane will be required to exit at the Skyway Interchange. The Chicago skyway interchange ramps and bridges over State Street and the 67th Street Bridge will remain closed. The Dan Ryan southbound exit to 71st Street and the Dan Ryan northbound exit to 67th Street will remain closed until August. The southbound Dan Ryan entrance from 67th Street and the southbound Dan Ryan entrance from 71st Street will also be closed.

75th Street, 59th Street and Wells Street between 63rd Street and 65th Street, will continue to see construction as well. Detour signs are posted. The ramp from southbound Dan Ryan to eastbound I-90 Skyway will remain open.

Water main relocation will continue on the Dan Ryan Exp (I-90/94) from 31st Street to 71st Street. One lane in each direction on Wells, Wentworth, LaSalle, 32nd and 37th Streets will be closed due to water main replacement work.

The I-94 Dan Ryan ramps, both north and southbound, from 67th Street to 71st Street will be closed for bridge relocation, new lane construction and ramp improvements. Expect partial lane closures on ramps connecting the Dan Ryan southbound to I-90/ Skyway eastbound as well as ramps connecting the Dan Ryan northbound to I-90 Skyway westbound until the end of June. One lane will always be open for traffic during construction.

Wells Street between 63rd Street and 65th Street will remain closed until August. Detour routes are posted.

57th Street over (I-94/90) and ramps located along Dan Ryan Exp (I-90/94) between 57th Street to 47th Street will have construction of retaining walls and bridge rehabilitation.

Dan Ryan (I-90/94) from 31st Street to I-57 will have a water main and utility adjustment.

Entrance and exit ramps on I-94/90 from 31st Street and 25th Streets are closed for reconstruction.

The south shoulder of the reversible lanes on I-90/94 at Western Avenue will be closed between Logan Blvd. and Western Avenue.
73rd Street from Oak Park Avenue to Meade Avenue will have one lane open at all times during street construction.

East Avenue from 39th Street to 31st Street. Widening, resurfacing, sewer repair, traffic signal improvement.

Hillgrove Avenue from Gilbert Avenue to Kensington Ave. Pavement reconstruction, sidewalk construction, drainage and lighting.
I-94/90 Dan Ryan from 31st Street to I-57. Water main and utility adjustment. I-94/I-394 under 170th Street will be closed for bridge replacement.

Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction on 170th Street at I-94/I-394 for bridge replacement.

I-394 eastbound from the Lincoln Oasis. Bridge replacement. The ramp from eastbound I-80/294 to southbound IL 394 has right and left shoulder closures and narrow lanes. Westbound I-94 has a left shoulder closure and traffic pushed onto the right shoulder from south of the I-94/IL 394 merge to 170th Street. The two left lanes on eastbound I-94 are narrow from 170th Street to the I-80/94/294 interchange. Northbound IL 394 will be detoured onto new temporary lanes between I-80 and eastbound I-94. Expect narrow lanes and shoulder closures on I-394 around I-80/94/294 interchanges.

Oak Park Avenue from IL 38 to IL 64 will be closed for street and landscaping work.

St. Charles Rd. and Wolf Rd. Pavement construction from I-290 to Wolf Rd. Pavement construction and St. Charles Rd. to Proviso Dr. Pavement reconstruction. Traffic is reduced to one lane in each direction using the south half of St. Charles Rd. Wolf Rd. is also down to one lane in each direction, with traffic using the west half of the road.

York Rd. Bridge over East-West Tollway and the Salt Creek to I-88 Tollway ramp have construction of bike path, pedestrian bridge and widening of bridge.

I-290 eastbound over I-355 in Addison has bridge joint repair and painting.

Barrington Rd. south of the Northwest Tollway to south of IL 72 is closed. Widening and reconstruction. Traffic is switched on Barrington Rd. northbound and southbound on to the new pavement.

Diversey/Sunset from 80th Avenue to Harlem Avenue is closed for street work.

Construction at Grand Avenue and Canadian National Railway due to railroad track relocation along with street and sewer work.
Howard Street from Niles Center Rd. to East Prairie Rd. has pavement reconstruction, intersection improvements, traffic signal modernization and drainage improvements.

Roberta Avenue from IL 64/North Avenue to MacArthur Dr. has milling, resurfacing, and patching.

Rohlwing Rd. from Industrial Avenue to Northwest Hwy has milling, resurfacing, patching, roadway construction bike path construction, and traffic signals.

Roy Avenue from North Avenue to MacArthur Dr has milling, resurfacing and patching.

IL 56 over the West Branch of the DuPage River has bridge repairs.

83rd Street from North Bolingbrook Dr. to North Janes Avenue has resurfacing, striping, sidewalk and minor landscaping.
Diehl Rd. and Eola Rd. to Country Club Blvd. are closed for pavement reconstruction from Eola Rd. to Country Club Blvd.
Highland Avenue from IL 56 to 22nd Street closed for roadway reconstruction.

Lombard Rd. from Fullerton Ave. to US 20/ Lake Street Earth excavation, pavement removal, storm sewers, curb and gutter replacement, sidewalk, etc. Northbound (traffic) between Fullerton Ave. and Capitol Dr. is using the southbound lane. There is one lane open in both directions from Capital Dr. and Diversey Avenue and between Diversey Avenue and Army Trail Blvd.

Also, northbound between Army Trail Rd. and Lake St./US 20, curb and gutter work, the northbound lanes are reduced to using one southbound lane.

IL 56 will be closed between IL 25 and Grant Street for pavement reconstruction. One lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction on IL 25.

Expect lane closures on Lake Marion Rd. from IL 25 to Washington Street due to pavement reconstruction and resurfacing. Reconstruction of Williams Street and the resurfacing of Lake Marion Rd.

IL 173 over Piscasaw Creek Overflow. Deck beam replacement.

IL 22 east of IL 43 to Ridge Rd. Bridge replacement. New pavement, storm sewers and the bridge, on the south half of IL 22, targeted to finish in the spring of 2005.

IL 59 at Beach Grove Rd. Intersection improvement.

IL 83 over the Wisconsin Central Ltd. Railroad. New bridge deck. East half of the bridge is closed, routing traffic onto West half.

IL 131 at 21st Street Intersection reconstruction.

IL 173/Rosecrans Rd. at Hunt Club Rd. Intersection reconstruction.

Sullivan Rd. at IL 31 and IL 25 over the Fox River. Reconstruction of pavement and modernization of the traffic signals.

Virgil Gilman Trail over IL 56. Earth excavation, erosion control, and concrete work.

EFFINGHAM COUNTY

I-57/70 Milepost 159, bridge replacement. Two narrow lanes open each direction.

HARDIN COUNTY

IL 146, west edge of Elizabethtown. Bridge replacement, one lane bridge open, traffic controlled by signals.

JEFFERSON COUNTY

I-57 milepost 92, bridge replacement. Two narrow lanes open each direction.

IL 37 in Mt. Vernon, widening and rehab, one lane open with temporary signals.

JOHNSON COUNTY

US 45, 4 miles south of Vienna. Bridge replacement, one lane open. Traffic controlled by signals.

KANKAKEE COUNTY

IL 102, 3 miles west of Bourbonnais, bridge replacement. One lane open, controlled by signals.

KENDALL COUNTY

US 34 through Plano, one lane open each direction. Work zone speed limit 35 mph west of Ben Street and 30 mph east of Ben Street

LIVINGSTON COUNTY

IL Rte 23, west of Cornell, bridge replacement. One lane open, controlled by signals.

MADISON COUNTY

Airline Dr. from ½ mile west of IL Rte. 111 to ½ mile east of IL Rte. 111 in Bethalto is closed. Detour signs will direct traffic.

Gerber Rd. will be closed from Goshen Rd. to Little Round Top Dr. in Edwardsville. Detour signs will direct traffic.

The intersection of Old Troy Rd. and Glen Crossing Rd. in Glen Carbon. A detour route is signed to direct the traveling public.

Cougar Dr. will be closed at Center Grove Rd. Detour signs will direct traffic.

MCLEAN COUNTY

I-55/74, around Bloomington from IL 9 to I-39 has all lanes open, narrow lanes and changing lane configurations. The work zone speed limit 45 mph.

PEORIA COUNTY

I-74, Westbound exit 93B on - ramp and exit ramp at Washington Street Permanently closed for Interstate reconstruction. (On and off-ramps on I-74 at Washington Street are closed for interstate reconstruction.)

SALINE COUNTY

IL 34, east edge of Rudement. Bridge replacement. One lane bridge, open, traffic controlled by signals.

TAZEWELL COUNTY

I-74, Westbound exit 94 (on – ramp spacing) at Riverfront Dr., closed for pavement reconstruction.

I-74, Eastbound exit 95 (on – ramp spacing) from northbound IL Rte 116, closed for Interstate reconstruction.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY

Southbound entrance ramp to I-57 closed due to bridge replacement.

A construction map and project information of Illinois highways can be found on the department’s web site at www.dot.il.gov. Winter road condition information is also available on the web site or by calling 1-800-452-4368. Illinois State Toll Highway information can be found at www.illinoistollway.com.

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